Oana BalaşEmerging translator Spanish into Romanian

'A translator has to be a reader. A reader who wants to share her experience. That’s what this profession is all about: as someone who speaks multiple languages you have access to different cultures.'

Oana-Dana Balaş (1978) holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Spanish Philology (2001), a Master’s degree in Italo-Iberian Studies (2002) and a PhD in Romance Philology (2012) at the University of Bucharest. She works as a senior lecturer at the University of Bucharest (2002 – to date) and as a freelance translator from Catalan and Spanish into Romanian. She teaches Spanish linguistics, theory and practice of translation from Catalan into Romanian and conference interpreting from Spanish into Romanian. She has published several literary translations in narrative fiction from Catalan and Spanish into Romanian (RAO, Meteor Press and Litera publishing houses).

‘A translator has to be a reader. A reader who wants to share her experience,’ Oana Balaş begins. ‘That’s what this profession is all about: as someone who speaks multiple languages you have access to different cultures. That gives you an opportunity, the chance to convey aspects from one culture to another. “Those who can’t travel can still read.” Your imagination can take you anywhere. I myself can’t do without the isolation. I’m someone who has no trouble shutting herself away. It’s a pleasant state to be in. People who work with their imagination are never bored. That’s why I could be by myself for weeks on end. A fantasy or a thought can carry you away, can bring you endless fun.’

Education

Bachelor English (major) and Spanish (minor) languages and literatures, University ofBucharest, 2001

Master Italo-Iberian Studies, University of Bucharest, 2002​PhD Spanish Linguistics, University of Bucharest, 2012